The First Amendment is essential to the protection of our right to freedom of thought and opinion. But it also precludes the government from taking action against error or, usually, even deception. Consequently trusting journalism as truth has to be strictly a "caveat emptor" situation.Journalists know that they have to be skeptical in order to avoid being gulled by people with axes to grind. But the poor dears are hurt--deeply offended--at the thought that we-the-people have the common sense to apply similar standards toward them.
Their only defense must be a posture of offended innocence, for they are selling exactly what they boast that they would not buy--trust in somebody else's word. "You can take our word, because we wouldn't take yours" is their actual message--and not exactly a reassuring one!